The basic difference between は transcribed wa and が transcribed ga in Japanese is that は transcribed wa marks the topic, while が transcribed ga usually marks new information.
| は transcribed wa | が transcribed ga |
|---|---|
Narrows an old topic of discussion | Introduces new information |
Translations:
| Translations:
|
Implies contrast | Implies an exhaustive answer |
Used after the topic of a sentence | Used after question words Used after the subject of a subordinate clause |
This can be an especially tricky distinction for Japanese learners, because the difference lies not in the literal meaning of a sentence, but in how that sentence “slots into” the surrounding context. If you look at a single sentence in translation, it can be very tricky to tell why は transcribed wa is used in one sentence and が transcribed ga in another:
- ジョンは先生です。Transcription: Jon wa sensei desu.Translation: John is a teacher.
- メアリーは綺麗ですTranscription: Mearii wa kirei desu.Translation: Mary is beautiful.
- 子供たちが泳いでいます。Transcription: Kodomotachi ga oyoide imasu.Translation: Children are swimming.
- 雨が降っています。Transcription: Ame ga hutte imasu.Translation: It is raining.Literally: Rain is falling.
These two little words are all over in Japanese, though, so understanding how and when to use each one is an essential part of learning the language!
In this post, we’ll talk first about the main contexts when you should use は transcribed wa, then about the main uses of が transcribed ga. We’ll then talk through some exceptions and special cases. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in!
What are は [wa] and が [ga] in Japanese?
The Japanese words は transcribed wa and が transcribed ga are function words belonging to a group of words we call particles. In Japanese, particles are small helper words that we use alongside another word, like a noun or verb, that tell us something about the role it plays in a sentence.
There are a lot of particles in Japanese, but は transcribed wa and が transcribed ga are some of the most common and trickiest to master. Let’s have a closer look!
When to use は [wa] in Japanese?
In Japanese, we use the word は transcribed wa after the topic of a sentence, which is usually something already part of the conversation or context that we want to “narrow in on” for some reason. For example:
Let’s look a little more closely at what a “topic” is by looking at some English examples.
What is a grammatical “topic”?
A topic is a noun that might follow a phrase like “speaking of…” or “as for…” or “regarding…” or “on the matter of…” in English.
In the sentences above, the topic noun and the subject noun are different. However, it’s possible for them to be the same. In English, we often don’t separate out the topic in cases like these, but you can tell that the subject is the topic because it makes sense to rephrase the sentence using a phrase like “as for…” or “regarding…”.
However, not every sentence has a topic. For example, you wouldn’t use “as for…” or “regarding…” to rephrase the sentence below:
If what is expressed by the subject is identified beforehand, it is the topic. If not, it is not the topic. Again, a subject can be the topic, but it is not always the topic.
How to use は [wa] as a topic marker in Japanese?
In Japanese, we most often use は transcribed wa as a topic marker by placing it after the topic and before the rest of a sentence.
Remember, though, that we only use は transcribed wa this way when Mary and John are topics, meaning they were already talked about beforehand.
Here are more examples:
How to use は [wa] to show a contrast?
In Japanese, we can use は transcribed wa both in sentences that are specifically intended to show contrast and to imply a contrast between one situation and other related situations.
Implied contrast with は [wa]
Most of the time, using は transcribed wa implies some sort of contrast, simply because you are calling attention to one noun to the exclusion of all others. Doing this can imply that other similar nouns would not be involved in the situation you’re describing.
What if you don’t want to imply a contrast like this? You can always leave it out, or use a different particle. For example, if someone asks you “Did you have lunch?” you could reply without は transcribed wa:
Explicit contrasts with は [wa]
We also use the word は transcribed wa in sentences designed to show an explicit contrast. We use it here because we are shifting between two different topics: X vs. Y. Use this sentence pattern:
Topic 1
Topic 2
Description
When to use が [ga] in Japanese?
In Japanese, we use が transcribed ga after a new piece of information we are introducing into a conversation. In grammar, we call this the “focus.” Let’s look at a couple examples!
You open a window without knowing it is raining. Then, finding it is raining, you might say:
new informationfocus markerあっ、雨が降っています。Transcription: A, ame ga futteimasuTranslation: Oh, it’s raining!Literally: Oh, rain is falling!The rain is surprising and new. You would never start a sentence like this with “As for the rain…” or “Speaking of rain…” so in this context we use が transcribed ga!
You want your friends to know you’ve got a headache, so you say…
new informationfocus marker頭が痛いです。Transcription: Atama ga itai desu.Translation: (My) head is painful.In this context, you wouldn’t start with “As for my head…” or “Speaking of my head…” because no one was thinking about your headache before you informed them about the problem. It’s new to the conversation.
In the sentences above, the whole situation represents new information to the conversation. In sentences like this, you’ll usually just put が transcribed ga after the subject.
Things get a little more complicated, though, in a sentence where we have a mix of new and old information. Let’s look, now, at a longer example:
Have a look at the highlighted sentence in the passage above. What do you notice?
Because the names of the chefs, 太郎 meaning Taro, マリオ meaning Mario, and スラヴァン meaning Sravan were mentioned before the underlined sentences, those names are not new information, so they do not come before が transcribed ga.
The new information in the highlighted sentence is the position of each chef’s picture: 左 meaning on the left, 真ん中 meaning in the middle, and 右 meaning on the right. Therefore, it is these words that come before the focus particle が transcribed ga!
The basic function of が transcribed ga, therefore, is to mark new information. There are, though, a few cases where you’ll use が transcribed ga in places where that might not be intuitive. Let’s go through these situations!
が [ga] in questions
In Japanese, use the word が transcribed ga in questions (after the question word) and in the answers to questions (after the answer).
Using が transcribed ga in these situations is reasonable. Before hearing the answer, the person who came could not be identified. Marking such a word with は transcribed wa is against the rules.
An apparent exception: が [ga] to show surprise
が transcribed ga can also be used in a sentence to show that something has surprised you or contradicted your expectations. In this use it’s not technically following new information, but it’s information that still feels new, because it’s so surprising.
Here is another example:
An apparent exception: が [ga] in subordinate clauses
In Japanese, we always use が transcribed ga to mark the subject of a subordinate clause regardless of whether the noun it marks follows is technically “new information” to the conversation. We do this because the subordinate clause is “new information” about the main clause.
Let’s look at an example to explain what this means.
The use of が transcribed ga in the second sentence might be surprising. Taro, Mario, and Sravan have already been mentioned in the conversation, so why is かれら meaning they being marked as “new information”? Because it is the subject of a subordinate clause!
Let’s look more closely at that second sentence, so you can see what this means:
This sentence has two parts: a main clause, which is the central message of the sentence (the restaurant is very popular), and a subordinate clause, which completes or adds information about that main message. In this case it explains why the restaurant is popular.
In Japanese, we use が transcribed ga in subordinate clauses to indicate that the subordinate clause provides additional (new) information about the main clause. So though the chefs may not be new to the conversation, the fact that they are great cooks still provides “new information” in the context of the second sentence.
Here are a few more examples of が transcribed ga being used to mark the subject of a subordinate clause:
How to use が [ga] in relative clauses?
Relative clauses are a type of subordinate clause that is used specifically to describe a noun. For example, in “the book that I read,” the phrase “that I read” is a relative clause, describing the book. Like other kinds of subordinate clauses in Japanese, が transcribed ga is involved in these as well!
In Japanese, relative clauses don’t have a linking word like “that” or “who” to connect the clause to the noun it modifies. Instead, we put a relative clause before the noun.
Notice that が transcribed ga appears after the subject of the relative clause!
We use が transcribed ga this way even if the subject of the relative clause itself is old information. Let’s talk about those chefs again!
Even though Mario was mentioned in the first sentence, when his name appears as the subject of the relative clause マリオが作る meaning that Mario makes, it is followed by が transcribed ga!
Check out our post on how to modify nouns in Japanese to learn more!
は [wa] vs. が [ga]: Some side-by-side comparisons
Now that we know when to use は transcribed wa and when to use が transcribed ga, let’s look at some paired examples, so that we can understand the different implications of each.
| Using は transcribed wa → implies a contrast | Using が transcribed ga → an exhaustive answer |
|---|---|
ジョンは学生です。 Transcription: Jon wa gakusei desu. Translation: As for John, (he) is a student. This implies you’re contrasting John with the rest of a group: e.g. “Sam is an engineer, Mary is a teacher, but as for John, he’s a student” | ジョンが学生です。 Transcription: Jon ga gakusei desu. Translation: It is John who is a student. This implies that John is an answer to a question. You were casting around for which one was a student, and have remembered it’s John. |
陽子さんは美しい。 Transcription: Yōko-san wa utsukushii Translation: As for Yoko, (she) is beautiful. Implies we are contrasting Yoko with a group of others who may or may not be beautiful. | 陽子さんが美しい。 Transcription: Yōko-san ga utsukushii Translation: It is Yoko who is beautiful. Here, Yoko is the only answer to the question “who is beautiful?” It implies that only one person could be beautiful and it’s her. |
子供たちは泳いでいます。 Transcription: Kodomotachi wa oyoide imasu. Translation: As for the children, (they) are swimming. This might answer the question “where are the children?” We are already discussing them, but we want to know where they are. | 子供たちが泳いでいます。 Transcription: Kodomotachi ga oyoide imasu. Translation: Children are swimming. / It is children who are swimming. Here, the most likely interpretation is that the whole statement is new information. However, you could imagine a situation in which you know someone went swimming, but you don’t know who, and this answers your question. |
Summary
Though は transcribed wa and が transcribed ga can often be used in sentences that receive the same translation, their use in Japanese is quite different and can lead to very different implications. Here’s what to remember about these two particles:
Use は transcribed wa to specify which of the pre-existing topics you want to discuss.
Implies you are illustrating a contrast
Some phrases you might use to translate: “as for [ ], …” “speaking of [ ], …” “as far as [ ] is concerned, ...”
Use が transcribed ga to introduce new or contrasting information into a conversation.
Can imply that you are answering a question or are noticing a situation for the first time.
Always use this after a question word or the answer to a question.
You can sometimes use “It’s [ ] that…” to translate, or you can just imagine the phrase marked by が transcribed ga is emphasized with bold and italics.
Ready to practice? Check out our collection of は transcribed wa vs. が transcribed ga activities! Happy learning!
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